The invention relates to a device for dosed discharge of a powder-form medium, in particular ceramic powder for dental purposes, comprising a housing—providing a storage container—with a first outlet, a cover—extending from or connected to the housing—with a second outlet for delivering the medium, as well as a slider, which can be shifted within the cover to selectively align with either the first or the second outlet, with a receptacle for a quantity of medium to be dosed, whereby the slider interacts with at least one spring element, via which a continuous force is applied to the slider to align the receptacle with the first outlet.
Dosing devices of a corresponding type are employed in various branches of industry to deliver a predetermined quantity of a medium, e.g. to a subsequent manufacturing process.
DE-C-33 36 274 describes a container lid that can be screwed onto a glass vessel or tin can to be able to discharge in a dosed manner consumable goods such as coffee or tee. The lid comprises a slider that features a receptacle for the dosed discharge of the consumable goods. Via arms issuing from the slider, the slider is hinged to pins issuing from the lid. The arms, which exhibit the effect of spring elements, cause the slider to be positioned selectively in a first or a second position, as long as no external forces are applied.
A dosing apparatus for e.g. sugar is described in DE-A-34 22 486. A dosed quantity can be accommodated by a receptacle of a slider, which is acted upon by a force of a spring in such a manner that the receptacle is aligned with a discharge opening, which opens into the dosing device's reservoir holding the sugar.
In a device for portioned discharge of for example coffee or tea, a cover comprises a slider, which by means of integrally moulded spring leafs—together with a dosing chamber receiving the medium to be dosed—is always aligned with an opening that is connected to the reservoir for the medium (DE-A-100 23 971).
A box for powder-form goods such as snuff tobacco is described in DE-U-79 02 889. In this, snuff tobacco is retrieved from a reservoir by means of a slider comprising a dosing chamber. In this, the slider can interact with a spring, so that a force acts upon the dosing chamber in the direction towards the opening of the box.
Subject matter of DE-C-137 635 is a container for automatic discharge of a powder-form or granular medium. For this, a slider is connected to a spring for the purpose of moving the slider together with a dosing chamber towards an opening of a reservoir, from which the medium is to be charged.
EP-A-0 079 239 relates to a dosing apparatus, onto which a container can be screwed. The dosing device comprises a slider that by means of spring elements is held in a position, in which a dosing chamber of the slider is aligned with an opening leading to the container.
Described in DE-A-40 38 274 is a mechanized or automated dosing device, which according to one embodiment comprises a funnel as reservoir with an outlet that is connected to a cylinder, in which a piston that borders an annular space is movable by means of a toothed rack. In this, the space bordered by the piston can be connected either to the outlet extending from the funnel or to a further outlet, to be able to discharge the quantity charged into the space.
In a dosing device according to DE-B-22 28 548, a reservoir is associated with a metering shaft, which comprises a dosing chamber that can selectively be aligned with the reservoir or—after turning the metering shaft—with a delivery opening.
Another option of discharging a dosed quantity of a powder-form material is offered by DE-A-197 27 340. In this, the material is pressed in a cartridge, so that when the cartridge is rotated material can be taken off by means of a stationary knife.